Quest Warrior already has infinite value from Juggernaut, so I don't think this would see play in that deck. Now, let's talk about Control Warrior. If you're confident in your ability to find at least one Mr. Smite, this could be some sort of pseudo-win condition to burst down your opponent from hand (or you could just run Mr. Smite and Discover the three biggest Pirates available). I'm actually really excited for this minion for one very specfic reason: there's a good chance that, if it sees play, it gets Mr. Smite nerfed.
A more expensive Deathwing, Mad Aspect that also doesn't have the ability to wipe an entire board if necessary. It also doesn't have the best stats for eating minions (Conditioning shenanigans, perhaps?). Considering the part of the game where this comes down, it probably won't "eat" more than two minions before dying and I don't think it will make too much of a difference. And it can't just go face three times.
Explore Un'Goro, but (in my opinion) better. Not expecting to see this in a "real" deck, but the potential for highrolls is so juicy that I'm absolutely willing to try it. Probably don't want to play this until turn 4 at the earliest, but it could be a lot of fun if you get it going.
Not guaranteed to see play, but I like it. The Rush is the main thing for me that could push it into playability, even if the mana Cost feels a bit too high and you need a weapon equipped to get the Rush body. Feels too circumstantial, but I want it to be good.
This is going to see play in some variety of deck. I almost wonder if a slow-ish Rogue deck pairs this with bounce effects (although it could be losing Shadowstep--finally--in the new Core set, and Potion and Tenwu are also leaving) for ultimate value. Those Relics are decently strong enough that I wouldn't hate finding a way to fit her into a deck or even building the deck around getting those relics. Either busted or a fun card for players who like value.
Solid disruption. Just cheap enough that you can weave him into a turn, but not super oppressive on his own. Very good for disrupting decks that only run a handful of very expensive minions, since you can slow them down or even wipe out their win condition if they don't respect him.
The newest version of Envoy Rustwix, but he should be better since: a) He's Neutral, b) He activates on a Battlecry, and c) He synergizes with Dredge and the new Finley. If slow, value-based control decks exist in the new meta they will very likely be running a copy of Ambassador Faelin.
Good synergy with Ambassador Faelin or any other cards that put cards on the bottom of your deck. Obviously, it's not going to be a Secret Passage-style reload, but if you've got a bad hand or cards on the bottom of your deck that you want to draw, he could be useful. I don't think you'd run him in any normal deck, and probably nothing aggressive, either.
The 7 mana Cost feels kind of slow, not to mention this is terrible to top-deck if you're not in a position to proc its Battlecry. I don't expect this to see play.
It's likely to see play in Pirate Warrior; the only issue being there might not be enough cheap Pirates to curve into it (or to play alongside it early). Other than Pirates, perhaps a Murloc deck or Naga deck runs the Amalgam because there are so few options in Standard? Should add some dimension to decks that want to find more minions of a particular type.
What's the biggest problem with Queen Azshara? Not having her in hand early so you can cast spells, then play her and get one of her Relics. Good news, then: Crushclaw Enforcer will tutor her and you can get your Relic (perhaps even on curve). I'm also not going to sleep on spell-heavy Naga decks, and this minion is great for those decks because it gets those Naga in your hand so you can reap the benefits of their spell-reliant Battlecries. Could be a real thing.
It's fine. Probably at its best in decks with minions like Ambassador Faelin or Sunken minions to "tutor" those cards, but there are cheaper ways to Dredge so really the only reason anyone would run this is for the mana reduction. Not likely to shake the meta up.
Very likely a strong card in Arena, as it's almost a straight-up better Fire Plume Phoenix (depending only on if you can set up its Battlecry). I'm actually not down on this card in Constructed, either. It's a little clunky, but aggressive spell-filled decks could be a really good thing in a Naga meta. Also, a very good name, even if it doesn't fit the minion's effect.
It's an OK minion for Pirate decks, essentially a worse Harbor Scamp, but Pirate Warrior is losing just enough other Pirates (mostly expensive ones, pending the new Core set reveal) that it could do worse than a 2 Cost 2/3 draw-fixer. Probably not an all-weather minion for Constructed in decks that don't care about Pirates.
I don't think Shaman is the home that will make Piranha Swarmer decks a thing; maybe if Warrior or Paladin had got Schooling instead and could put it to use in handbuff decks. Doubt the card itself finds a place in any decks.
A potentially strong synergy with Bloodscent Vilefin, and one-sided board clears (even if the butt can't be killed off and your opponent gets them back) are fairly strong. It also has the ability to eat a wall of Taunts so you can kill your opponent. I'm not buying Murlock, but I have faith that this finds a home.
I think Kurtrus will see play, and perhaps just in decks that want to upgrade their Hero Power. His Battlecry is so easy to build up over the course of the game and his Hero Power so efficient that it's really hard to convince myself that there's any Demon Hunter deck that won't want to run him.
Good value for very slow Mage decks, and good for getting your expensive cards in hand where they can be discounted and played for free by Clumsy Courier. We'll see if Bi Spell Mage wants those extra copies, or if it can make do with the standard two-of.
Quest Warrior already has infinite value from Juggernaut, so I don't think this would see play in that deck. Now, let's talk about Control Warrior. If you're confident in your ability to find at least one Mr. Smite, this could be some sort of pseudo-win condition to burst down your opponent from hand (or you could just run Mr. Smite and Discover the three biggest Pirates available). I'm actually really excited for this minion for one very specfic reason: there's a good chance that, if it sees play, it gets Mr. Smite nerfed.
A more expensive Deathwing, Mad Aspect that also doesn't have the ability to wipe an entire board if necessary. It also doesn't have the best stats for eating minions (Conditioning shenanigans, perhaps?). Considering the part of the game where this comes down, it probably won't "eat" more than two minions before dying and I don't think it will make too much of a difference. And it can't just go face three times.
Explore Un'Goro, but (in my opinion) better. Not expecting to see this in a "real" deck, but the potential for highrolls is so juicy that I'm absolutely willing to try it. Probably don't want to play this until turn 4 at the earliest, but it could be a lot of fun if you get it going.
Not guaranteed to see play, but I like it. The Rush is the main thing for me that could push it into playability, even if the mana Cost feels a bit too high and you need a weapon equipped to get the Rush body. Feels too circumstantial, but I want it to be good.
This is going to see play in some variety of deck. I almost wonder if a slow-ish Rogue deck pairs this with bounce effects (although it could be losing Shadowstep--finally--in the new Core set, and Potion and Tenwu are also leaving) for ultimate value. Those Relics are decently strong enough that I wouldn't hate finding a way to fit her into a deck or even building the deck around getting those relics. Either busted or a fun card for players who like value.
Solid disruption. Just cheap enough that you can weave him into a turn, but not super oppressive on his own. Very good for disrupting decks that only run a handful of very expensive minions, since you can slow them down or even wipe out their win condition if they don't respect him.
The newest version of Envoy Rustwix, but he should be better since: a) He's Neutral, b) He activates on a Battlecry, and c) He synergizes with Dredge and the new Finley. If slow, value-based control decks exist in the new meta they will very likely be running a copy of Ambassador Faelin.
Good synergy with Ambassador Faelin or any other cards that put cards on the bottom of your deck. Obviously, it's not going to be a Secret Passage-style reload, but if you've got a bad hand or cards on the bottom of your deck that you want to draw, he could be useful. I don't think you'd run him in any normal deck, and probably nothing aggressive, either.
The 7 mana Cost feels kind of slow, not to mention this is terrible to top-deck if you're not in a position to proc its Battlecry. I don't expect this to see play.
It's likely to see play in Pirate Warrior; the only issue being there might not be enough cheap Pirates to curve into it (or to play alongside it early). Other than Pirates, perhaps a Murloc deck or Naga deck runs the Amalgam because there are so few options in Standard? Should add some dimension to decks that want to find more minions of a particular type.
What's the biggest problem with Queen Azshara? Not having her in hand early so you can cast spells, then play her and get one of her Relics. Good news, then: Crushclaw Enforcer will tutor her and you can get your Relic (perhaps even on curve). I'm also not going to sleep on spell-heavy Naga decks, and this minion is great for those decks because it gets those Naga in your hand so you can reap the benefits of their spell-reliant Battlecries. Could be a real thing.
It's fine. Probably at its best in decks with minions like Ambassador Faelin or Sunken minions to "tutor" those cards, but there are cheaper ways to Dredge so really the only reason anyone would run this is for the mana reduction. Not likely to shake the meta up.
Very likely a strong card in Arena, as it's almost a straight-up better Fire Plume Phoenix (depending only on if you can set up its Battlecry). I'm actually not down on this card in Constructed, either. It's a little clunky, but aggressive spell-filled decks could be a really good thing in a Naga meta. Also, a very good name, even if it doesn't fit the minion's effect.
It's an OK minion for Pirate decks, essentially a worse Harbor Scamp, but Pirate Warrior is losing just enough other Pirates (mostly expensive ones, pending the new Core set reveal) that it could do worse than a 2 Cost 2/3 draw-fixer. Probably not an all-weather minion for Constructed in decks that don't care about Pirates.
I don't think Shaman is the home that will make Piranha Swarmer decks a thing; maybe if Warrior or Paladin had got Schooling instead and could put it to use in handbuff decks. Doubt the card itself finds a place in any decks.
A potentially strong synergy with Bloodscent Vilefin, and one-sided board clears (even if the butt can't be killed off and your opponent gets them back) are fairly strong. It also has the ability to eat a wall of Taunts so you can kill your opponent. I'm not buying Murlock, but I have faith that this finds a home.
Auctioneer was definitely a contender until I figured out how the expansion arrows worked.
So... next Iksar Q&A the thumbnail is going to be his face on Irondeep Trogg, right?
I think Kurtrus will see play, and perhaps just in decks that want to upgrade their Hero Power. His Battlecry is so easy to build up over the course of the game and his Hero Power so efficient that it's really hard to convince myself that there's any Demon Hunter deck that won't want to run him.
Good value for very slow Mage decks, and good for getting your expensive cards in hand where they can be discounted and played for free by Clumsy Courier. We'll see if Bi Spell Mage wants those extra copies, or if it can make do with the standard two-of.